Arcyte
Arcyte is the lifeblood of Pavonas. While it was relatively unheard of, and mostly used as jewelry, the discovery that it was magical in nature was huge. It completely rocked the foundation of the world, even changing calender dates to T.O.E, and A.A.D - The Old Era & After Arcyte Discovery. Arcyte when found in the ground contains impurities. The crystal when consumed out of the ground can cause serious permanent injury and even death. However, the fashion in which death occurs happens in is usually unique to the individual, as impure arcyte is incredibly unstable. Consumption Consumption is fairly simple. Simply crushing the crystal in or near ones self is enough to break open the energies of said crystal. However, there are more direct and powerful ways of consuming and activating the soon-to-be magical powers. There are three different general ways that arcyte can be consumed: In solid, liquid, or gas form. Solid Solid form is fairly common, as it is found in the earth this way. Arcyte when extracted from the ground is in the shape of ore much like iron. However, when melted down and subjected to pressure, it takes on crystalline features that ultimately are what is commonly used today. Consuming it is as simple as crushing it in ones hand is enough to bestow magical energies onto the user. It can also be joined with technology in order to channel the magical powers through a physical weapon or armor, whether this is a staff or shield. And in its most complex applications, is capable of giving inanimate objects a very simple form of IFF; that is, it is able to determine who is the enemy and who is not. This is primarily used in portable turrets, automated defenses, and even war golems. Liquid Liquid arcyte is less common, but still used to great effect. While it can be used as a source for fuel, it is vastly more volatile and thus unpredictable. More often than not, it is mixed in with another combustible liquid, such as petrol or whale oil. Other uses for liquid arcyte may include syringe shots, injecting arcyte directly into the body. While this is incredibly more potent way of consuming it, it is also a lot more damaging to the body. The last use for liquid arcyte is in construction. Whether this be weapons, armor, or even the smart systems of war golems. It is likened to the blood or life force of such things, as cutting open a war golem would be akin to cutting a living being open, with liquid arcyte spilling from its wounds. Gas The gaseous forms of arcyte are incredibly more dangerous to living beings. If inhaled directly into the lungs, it can cause permanent damage and even death, often twisting one into an abomination. Vaporizing arcyte is difficult, but possible. It's applications have yet to be discovered fully but it is known that if weaponized, it could kill millions. Common Use Arcyte is as ingrained into the DNA of Pavonas as possible. People living in magic dominated countries such as the Cerulean Confederacy are often exposed to it at a very young age. It is almost a requirement to have some magical knowledge if living in these places. Other such locations, such as the Tar'Darii Brotherhood, are less institutionalized than the Confederacy, often turning it into a lucrative cash crop, selling it to anyone and everyone. In these places, it is more akin to a drug, than a source of magical power. However that does not mean that they forgo such power. Indeed, the Brotherhoods elite forces often consume arcyte regularly to enhance their combat ability. Places such as the Commonwealth view arcyte as a plague that requires eradication. These people view magic as a plight among the civilized world, and only consume it in order to beat it. Arcyte is studied tirelessly among the many scientific laboratories of the Adamant Commonwealth, often using arcyte discoveries in anti-magic protection; discovering new ways of how to combat the magical plague. This is done both out of hatred, and desperation, as a magical breakdown threatens to consume the entire island. Unstable Arcyte & Mutagenic Properties Unstable arcyte is becoming more and more common as the sentient races experiment with the magical crystal. Currently there are two concentrated locations where unstable arcyte can be extracted: * Ash'lakir Crystal Desert * The Great Cordon Unstable arcyte is not to be confused with impure arcyte. Impure arcyte, while unstable, is more or less inert unless consumed. Unstable arcyte is arcyte that has undergone some sort of catalyst that has caused it to exhibit random and potentially devastated properties. Unstable arcyte is primarily produced from either magical disasters (Attempting to explode a significant chunk of arcyte) or from the death of a particularly powerful mage. Not only does it twist the landscape it inhabits, changing weather habits and laws of physics, it has mutagenic properties that trigger rampant mutation in organic matter. This twists the local fauna, wildlife, and even sentient races that come in direct contact with it. Something as simple as a single drop on the skin can cause horrific alterations in the host. All it takes is a single part of an ecosystem to fall prey to the mutagen, and it triggers a chain reaction that results in the collapse of an entire biome as it is quickly consumed by the magical energy. Mor'todal are the most common byproduct of unstable arcyte.